Summary Background Retrospective evidence indicates that disease progression after first-line chemotherapy for metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) occurs most often at sites of disease known to exist at baseline. However, the potential benefit of aggressive local consolidative therapy (LCT) on progression-free survival (PFS) for patients with oligometastatic NSCLC is unknown. Methods We conducted a multicenter randomized study (NCT01725165; currently ongoing but not recruiting participants) to assess the effect of LCT on progression-free survival ((PFS). Eligible patients hadwere (1) histologic confirmation of (2) stage IV NSCLC, (3) ≤3 disease sites after systemic therapy, and (4) no disease progression before randomization. Front line therapy was ≥4 cycles of platinum doublet therapy or ≥3 months of inhibitors of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) or anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) for patients with EGFR mutations or ALK rearrangements. Patients were randomized to either LCT ([chemo]radiation or resection of all lesions) +/− maintenance therapy versus maintenance therapy/observation only. Maintenance therapy was recommended based on a list of approved regimens, and observation was defined as close surveillance without cytotoxic therapy. Randomization was not masked and was balanced dynamically on five factors: number of metastases, response to initial therapy, central nervous system metastases, intrathoracic nodal status, and EGFR/ALK status. The primary endpoint was PFS, powered to detect an increase from 4 months to 7 months (hazard ratio [HR}=0.57) using intent-to-treat analysis. The plan was to study 94 randomized patients, with an interim analysis at 44 events. PFS, overall survival (OS), and time to develop a new lesion were compared between arms with log-rank tests. Results The study was terminated early after treatment of 49 patients (25 LCT, 24 control), when at a median follow-up time for PFS of 18.7 months, the median PFS time in the LCT group was 11.9 months (90% confidence interval [CI] 5.72 ,20.90) versus 3.9 months (90% CI 2.30, 6.64) in the maintenance group (HR=0.35, 90% CI 0.18,0.66, log rank p=0.005). Toxicity was similar between groups, with no grade 4–5 events. Grade 3 or higher adverse events in the maintenance therapy arm were fatigue (n=1) and anemia (n=1). In the LCT arm, Grade 3 events were: esophagitis (n=2), anemia (n=1), pneumothorax (n=1), and abdominal pain (n=1). Overall survival data are immature, with only 14 deaths recorded. Interpretation LCT +/− maintenance therapy for patients with ≤3 metastases from NSCLC that did not progress after initial systemic therapy improved PFS relative to maintenance therapy alone. These findings imply that aggressive local therapy should be further explored in phase III trials as a standard treatment option in this clinical scenario.

PURPOSE Our previously published findings reported that local consolidative therapy (LCT) with radiotherapy or surgery improved progression-free survival (PFS) and delayed new disease in patients with oligometastatic non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) that did not progress after front-line systemic therapy. Herein, we present the longer-term overall survival (OS) results accompanied by additional secondary end points. PATIENTS AND METHODS This multicenter, randomized, phase II trial enrolled patients with stage IV NSCLC, three or fewer metastases, and no progression at 3 or more months after front-line systemic therapy. Patients were randomly assigned (1:1) to maintenance therapy or observation (MT/O) or to LCT to all active disease sites. The primary end point was PFS; secondary end points were OS, toxicity, and the appearance of new lesions. All analyses were two sided, and P values less than .10 were deemed significant. RESULTS The Data Safety and Monitoring Board recommended early trial closure after 49 patients were randomly assigned because of a significant PFS benefit in the LCT arm. With an updated median follow-up time of 38.8 months (range, 28.3 to 61.4 months), the PFS benefit was durable (median, 14.2 months [95% CI, 7.4 to 23.1 months] with LCT v 4.4 months [95% CI, 2.2 to 8.3 months] with MT/O; P = .022). We also found an OS benefit in the LCT arm (median, 41.2 months [95% CI, 18.9 months to not reached] with LCT v 17.0 months [95% CI, 10.1 to 39.8 months] with MT/O; P = .017). No additional grade 3 or greater toxicities were observed. Survival after progression was longer in the LCT group (37.6 months with LCT v 9.4 months with MT/O; P = .034). Of the 20 patients who experienced progression in the MT/O arm, nine received LCT to all lesions after progression, and the median OS was 17 months (95% CI, 7.8 months to not reached). CONCLUSION In patients with oligometastatic NSCLC that did not progress after front-line systemic therapy, LCT prolonged PFS and OS relative to MT/O.

No abstract

Immune checkpoint therapy (ICT) with anti-CTLA-4 and anti-PD-1/PD-L1 has revolutionized the treatment of many solid tumors. However, the clinical efficacy of ICT is limited to a subset of patients with specific tumor types 1,2. Multiple clinical trials with combinatorial immune checkpoint strategies are ongoing, however, the mechanistic rationale for tumor specific targeting of immune checkpoints remains elusive. To garner insight into tumor specific immunomodulatory targets, we analyzed tumors (N=94) representing 5 different cancer types, including those that respond relatively well to ICT and those that do not, such as glioblastoma (GBM), prostate cancer (PCa) and colorectal cancer (CRC). Through mass cytometry and single cell RNA-sequencing, we identified a unique population of CD73 hi macrophages in GBM that persists after anti-PD-1 treatment. To test if targeting CD73 would be important for a successful combination strategy in GBM, we performed reverse translational studies using CD73 −/− mice. We found that the absence of CD73 improved survival in a murine model of GBM treated with anti-CTLA-4 and anti-PD-1. Our data identified CD73 as a specific immunotherapeutic target to improve anti-tumor immune responses to ICT in GBM, and demonstrate that comprehensive human and reverse translational studies can be used for rational design of combinatorial immune checkpoint strategies.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide, with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) accounting for over 85% of all cases. Until recently, chemotherapy – characterized by some benefit but only rare durable responses – was the only treatment option for patients with NSCLC whose tumors lacked targetable mutations. By contrast, immune checkpoint inhibitors have demonstrated distinctly durable responses and represent the advent of a new treatment approach for patients with NSCLC. Three immune checkpoint inhibitors, pembrolizumab, nivolumab and atezolizumab, are now approved for use in first- and/or second-line settings for selected patients with advanced NSCLC, with promising benefit also seen in patients with stage III NSCLC. Additionally, durvalumab following chemoradiation has been approved for use in patients with locally advanced disease. Due to the distinct features of cancer immunotherapy, and rapid progress in the field, clinical guidance is needed on the use of these agents, including appropriate patient selection, sequencing of therapies, response monitoring, adverse event management, and biomarker testing. The Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer (SITC) convened an expert Task Force charged with developing consensus recommendations on these key issues. Following a systematic process as outlined by the National Academy of Medicine, a literature search and panel voting were used to rate the strength of evidence for each recommendation. This consensus statement provides evidence-based recommendations to help clinicians integrate immune checkpoint inhibitors into the treatment plan for patients with NSCLC. This guidance will be updated following relevant advances in the field.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1186/s40425-018-0382-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Genomic intratumor heterogeneity (ITH) may be associated with postsurgical relapse of localized lung adenocarcinomas. Recently, mutations, through generation of neoantigens were shown to alter tumor immunogenicity through T cell responses. Here, we performed sequencing of the T cell receptor (TCR) in 45 tumor regions from 11 localized lung adenocarcinomas and observed substantial intratumor differences in T cell density and clonality with the majority of T cell clones restricted to individual tumor regions. TCR ITH positively correlated with predicted neoantigen ITH, suggesting that spatial differences in the T cell repertoire may be driven by distinct neoantigens in different tumor regions. Finally, a higher degree of TCR ITH was associated with an increased risk of postsurgical relapse and shorter disease-free survival, suggesting a potential clinical significance of T cell repertoire heterogeneity.

8504 Background: Neoadjuvant immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) induce major pathologic response (MPR) rates of 20 to 45% in resected NSCLCs. We report the results of NEOSTAR - a phase 2 trial of neoadjuvant N or NI for NSCLCs. Methods: Pts with stage I-IIIA (single N2) resectable NSCLC (AJCC 7th), PS 0-1, were randomized to N (3 mg/kg IV, D1, 15, 29) or N plus I (1 mg/kg IV, D1) followed by surgery (n = 44). Primary endpoint: MPR (≤10% viable tumor), hypothesized to be higher than MPR to induction chemotherapy historical controls. Tumor immune infiltrates and pre- & post-ICI tumor PD-L1 % were assessed by flow cytometry & IHC. Wilcoxon ranked sum test & Fisher’s exact test were used for comparisons. Results: 44 pts were randomized, 23 N, 21 NI: mean age 66, 64% males, 18% never smokers, 59% adenocarcinomas, stages: IA 8 (18%), IB 15 (34%), IIA 7 (16%) IIB 5 (11%); IIIA 9 (20%). Only 3 pts received < 3 doses due to TRAEs (7%). 34 pts had surgery post ICIs (7 not resected [7/41], 17%, [2 N, 5 NI], 3 pending). There were 10 MPRs in 41 pts overall (24%, 4 N, 6 NI), of which 6 were path CRs (15%, 2 N [9%], 4 NI [21%]). Among 34 resected pts, MPR rate was 29% (N 20%, NI 43%). Median % of viable tumor was lower post NI vs N (20% vs 65%, p = .097). ORR (RECIST v1.1) was 22% (8 PRs [5 N, 3 NI], 1 CR [NI]); 15% of pts had PD (3 N, 3 NI). The proportion of CR+PR in MPR+ was higher than in MPR- (6 [60%] vs 2 [7%], p < .001). Surgical complications included 2 bronchopleural fistulas (BPFs) in N & 8 air leaks (5 N, 3 NI). G3-G5 TRAEs included a death due to BPF post steroid-treated pneumonitis (G5, N); G3 pneumonia, hypoxia, hypermagnesemia (1 each, all N), G3 diarrhea (1 NI). CD3+ & CD103+ tissue resident memory CD8+ TILs were higher in NI- vs N-treated tumors (CD3+ 81.2% vs 54.4%, p = .028; CD8+ 56.2% vs 38.3%, p = .069). Median pre-treatment tumor PD-L1 was higher in responders (MPR+, CR+PR) vs non-responders (80% vs 1%, p = .024), and the % of viable tumor was lower in tumors with PD-L1 > 1% vs PD-L1 ≤1% (median 20% vs 80%, p = .046). Conclusions: Overall a 24% MPR rate to neoadjuvant ICIs was observed. NI induced a higher % of non-viable tumor and of tissue resident memory TILs vs N. Antitumor activity was associated with higher pre-treatment PD-L1 levels. Clinical trial information: NCT03158129.

BackgroundThe clinical efficacy observed with inhibitors of programed cell death 1/programed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1/PD-1) in cancer therapy has prompted studies to characterize the immune response in several tumor types, including lung cancer. However, the immunological profile of non–small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NCT) is not yet fully characterized, and it may be therapeutically important. The aim of this retrospective study was to characterize and quantify PD-L1/PD-1 expression and tumor-associated immune cells (TAICs) in surgically resected NSCLCs from patients who received NCT or did not receive NCT (non-NCT).MethodsWe analyzed immune markers in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tumor tissues resected from 112 patients with stage II/III NSCLC, including 61 non-NCT (adenocarcinoma [ADC] = 33; squamous cell carcinoma [SCC] = 28) and 51 NCT (ADC = 31; SCC = 20). We used multiplex immunofluorescence to identify and quantify immune markers grouped into two 6-antibody panels: panel 1 included AE1/AE3, PD-L1, CD3, CD4, CD8, and CD68; panel 2 included AE1/AE3, PD1, granzyme B, FOXP3, CD45RO, and CD57.ResultsPD-L1 expression was higher (> overall median) in NCT cases (median, 19.53%) than in non-NCT cases (median, 1.55%; P = 0.022). Overall, density of TAICs was higher in NCT-NSCLCs than in non-NCT-NSCLCs. Densities of CD3+ cells in the tumor epithelial compartment were higher in NCT-ADCs and NCT-SCCs than in non-NCT-ADCs and non-NCT-SCCs (P = 0.043). Compared with non-NCT-SCCs, NCT-SCCs showed significantly higher densities of CD3 + CD4+ (P = 0.019) and PD-1+ (P < 0.001) cells in the tumor epithelial compartment. Density of CD68+ tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) was higher in NCT-NSCLCs than in non-NCT-NSCLCs and was significantly higher in NCT-SCCs than in non-NCT-SCCs. In NCT-NSCLCs, higher levels of epithelial T lymphocytes (CD3 + CD4+) and epithelial and stromal TAMs (CD68+) were associated with better outcome in univariate and multivariate analyses.ConclusionsNCT-NSCLCs exhibited higher levels of PD-L1 expression and T-cell subset regulation than non-NCT-NSCLCs, suggesting that NCT activates specific immune response mechanisms in lung cancer. These results suggest the need for clinical trials and translational studies of combined chemotherapy and immunotherapy prior to surgical resection of locally advanced NSCLC.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1186/s40425-018-0368-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.